Haven't seen Bazooka Joes for a while.

Couldn't agree more!

There should be a "High Horse" section for politics, religion and general ranting and raving.

At last, the right person to ask! I too am looking to do more than just basic editing, and I already have X2 which I got cheaply as part of a bundle from Serif. Will X2 do, or would it be worth upgrading to X5. Or should I try PE 11 or GIMP, bearing in mind that steep learning curves give me vertigo.
I have found with X2 that if I try to brighten a dark picture, the image very quickly starts to take on an over-processed look (the dreaded watercolour effect). Is this common to all editing packages, or is it just a symptom of the cheapness of X2?

I see from your website that you have information technology and professional photography experience. Any contributions concerning either of these subjects will be appreciated in this forum. I've seen queries about all sorts of technical subjects here.
Your website has a good look to it. My only suggestion would be to include a bit more variety in the galleries.

I see you've already found that the humour can be top-notch. Sarge69 and co. are excellent - if you liked the "UK humour" post you can expect more of the same.
(I hope you didn't mind my wee joke about the English. Most of what you see in UHH is done in good humour).

One of the things I like about UHH is that the whole spectrum is here, and everyone is welcome.

Having said that, there is no shortage of people who are obviously professionals or very keen hobbyists, and the standard of the advice (that is freely given) is very high.

I believe that in Scotland the official position is that the above statement is not true.

Keep us posted.

I see your point, but it seemed like a good idea to point out both options.

I don't have a camera with a fully articulated viewscreen, but some have suggested that it's a reasonable alternative to a viewfinder.

I'm no expert, but I would say that the backlight is not the only light on the subjects, because if it was, they would be silhouetted. I suspect that the trick is to gauge how much direct light the subjects get - too much and the effect is lost, too little and they become invisible except for their silhouettes.

Not forgetting the fact that it's B&W.

If you do decide to opt for a compact system camera, the Nikon 1 range is as small as they come (in particular the J1/J2). The V1 is dearer and larger but has a viewfinder.

Your choice will depend on how pocketable the camera needs to be. Even with one of the smaller lenses, a 4/3 camera will still be a bit of a lump to carry about. Having said that, you may be used to bulky cameras, since the G9 isn't exactly diminutive. But if you want a longer focal length, the lens will guarantee that it will not be pocketable (unless your pockets are the size of saddlebags!).

Another possibility is to check out a newer version of the type of camera that you are used to. For example, the Nikon P7700 has the same size of sensor as the G9, but it is a latest-generation CMOS sensor, and despite the fact that it is a fairly bright lens (f2-f4), it still gives 7.1x optical zoom. I've only seen pictures of it, so it's hard to gauge size, but Nikon describe it as "surprisingly" compact.

The usual advice that I see in UHH is to have some in-shop hands-on experience with the cameras that you are considering. Then you will know if you like the feel, size, features etc.

Silhouettes AND reflections in the same shot. Doubly nice!

You're welcome.